Greasing the Stabilizer bar on a Truly Ergonomic keyboard

[djcybermyth]

Hi All,

I have a squeaky shift key that is really hard to push and is causing my left pinky tremendous pain.  I'm hoping that greasing the stabilizer will help since I just noticed that this particular key squeaks and is harder to press than the others.  When I pulled the key caps off, I noticed that the stabilizer is under the metal tray, so I'm not really sure how to get at it to lube it up.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[djcybermyth]

Alright, well it looks like I will just abandon the TE blues altogether.  I bought another TE with mx brown switches from my roommate because he bought three when they came out and now only uses one.

I really, really wanted to like the blue switches.  I love the sound that they make, but something about their action and my typing habits hurts my pinkys.  I've learned to type more lightly on these boards now, which also helps with the pinky problem, but ultimately, boring comfort must trump aural excitement   Also, those force diagrams make a lot more sense now that I have some experience to apply to them as well.  The blue switches seem to take more force to actuate than the browns, and now I'd love to try some mx red switches now just to complete the great experiment

I also bought a Leopold tenkeyless with mx blues just to see if I would like a standard layout with mechanical switches as much as these TE boards, and the answer is a resounding no.  I seem to be completely ruined by the stupid Home/End/PgUp/PgDn left hand "arrow" keys and bang on the space bar trying to hit end all of the time on standard layouts now.

All of that said, I'm wondering if the Kinesis Advantage would be a good next step for my apparent new keyboard addiction (nearing $1000 so far!?!?!).  I am curious as I've seen these boards for a long time and people here seem to love them too.  Anyone have an extra they would be willing to swap for a go with this TE with blues?

[pyro]

I have a Kinesis with reds, but still only use my TE (with reds), because the keys feel much more springy on the TE and the physical layout doesn't force you into typing properly as much as the Kinesis'. And I seem to have small hands, since using the far thumb keys on the Kinesis seems uncomfortable for me. I type faster with it though, and its remapping capabilities are really well implemented.

[djcybermyth]

Well, TE Support finally got back with me on the squeaky shift key.  They sent me a very detailed email with links to buy some grease from EliteKeyboards and pictures showing where to apply it.  So I ordered the grease and sat down to apply it.  After putting some grease on the indicated points, there was still a squeak, so I got more aggressive and pulled out both stabilizer mounts in an attempt to get at the stabilizer bar directly.  Now, I can't get the stabilizer mounts to go back in place properly.

I've attached an image of the stabilizer bar to show how it runs under the mounting plate.

Any one got any ideas about how to put it back together?

Thanks.

[dorkvader]

Sorry for the late reply,

You will probably have to take the keyboard out of the case, so you can pull up on that stabilizer bar while you insert the stabilizer. It would also probably make it easier to desolder and remove the switch, which will give you some more room to maneuver.

When you put it back together, make sure the stabilizers aren't in backwards. The wire goes in two square (I think?) holes, and the assembly slots into the plate.

[djcybermyth]

Thanks dorkvader!  At this point, I'm just going to try and sell/trade it to someone who can fix it correctly.  I'd love to trade for a Kinesis Advantage if someone is willing.

--David

[djcybermyth]

Well, after letting it sit for a long time, I finally fixed my TE blue.  The best way to fix a stabilizer bar in the state mine was in was to desolder the switch to give you room to work.  After desoldering the switch, I reassembled the stabilizer and plastic guides as one piece and was able to snap it back in place easily.  Then, I resoldered the switch.  Now everything works perfectly!

[hoggy]

Glad you got it working.  I hadn't realised that you could take stabilized switches out from a standard plate.  Always nice to learn something new.

Now you've got it fixed, are you still going for a Kinesis?  At least you'll be able to sell the TE to help cover the costs.

Also, I believe that Kinesis will take the board back after 60 days (just don't trash it).

[djcybermyth]

Just to finish up the original reason for this post, here's what to do if you have a squeaky stablizer bar:

1> Pull the keycap

2> Grease the indicated grease points


3> Don't take anything apart unless you know you absolutely need to

I used the EK MechLube silicone grease.  It is particularly handy for this since it comes with a curved tip, which is perfect for getting into the inside area of the guide post plastic housing.